Christmast Present, Christmas Past
by Bria
Summary: The Doctor and Rose's second Christmas together in Pete's World brings about not only new memories but also some revelations for them both.


Disclaimer: Doctor Who isn't mine. If it was things would be quite different. The BBC owns all and I bow before them.

Written for timepetalsprompts on tumblr and their weekly ficlet prompts, 'we're together now, that's what's importan't and 'a confession.'

* * *

The Doctor woke up on Christmas morning, the lights of their Christmas tree twinkling and casting beams on him and Rose, and a happy smile on his face.

They had only arrived home from what was supposed to be a five day trip to liaison with Torchwood Down Under's Alien Artifacts Division late the night before. In reality, it had turned into a three week ordeal complete with a downed spaceship and quiet trade negotiations with a new species.

Christmas Eve had been spent in airports and heliports and between the travel and the time zone change he wasn't at all surprised when she stated she felt like she could sleep for a year. Even so, she had agreed to his request that they put up their Christmas tree (please, Rose, it's Christmas!) and pulling out the sofa hide a bed so they could sleep beside it.

He kissed her eyelids before moving to her mouth. "Merry Christmas," he breathed against her lips.

Rose opened her eyes slowly. She had never been a morning person to begin with, and considering what they just been through, he expected a protest but there was none. "Merry Christmas," she returned, brushing her lips against his lightly.

They kissed slowly for several minutes before the Doctor pulled back. "I know our trip kind of threw a monkey wrench in any plans for Christmas shopping, but I've got something for you."

He got up and retreated to his study and then returned to her, a small box in his hand.

"I just happen to have something for you too." She grinned at him before she left for a moment and returned with a box of her own.

"Mine first," he insisted as he handed her his home-and-TARDIS made gift.

Rose peeled the wrapping off, and gave an "oh," when she saw the name 'Harrods' revealed.

"Just a box, love. Jackie gave it to me."

Rose removed the rest of the wrapping paper and removed the box lid. "Doctor!" She pulled out the gift inside, a sonic screwdriver.

"I thought it was time you had your own." The Doctor explained. "Even though our TARDIS isn't fully grown yet, she's enough along to make that. It has the most common settings you've used before and I uh, added a few modifications just for you."

Rose eyes shone as she flung her arms around him. "It's perfect. Show me the differences?"

He took the sonic from her and thumbed on the switch. The light inside came on, but instead of the usual blue of his sonic screw driver, this one was a darker TARDIS blue. "And that's not all. You told you hate waxing, so this can do complete laser hair removal when you want to get ready for bikini season."

Rose giggled at that. "What, yours doesn't do that?"

"Don't need it," he grinned. "Mainly hair hands and legs as you know."

Rose laughed again and then suddenly stopped. "Thank you Doctor, it's perfect."

She glanced down at the box she had brought out. "This was just kind of a joke gift, Doctor. It's not really what I was going to do, but with the trip it's all I have here."

"Rose, we're together now, that's what's important, and that's the greatest gift. Everything else is just extra."

She still seemed slightly embarrassed but she nodded. "Okay, but just so you know, I got up in the night to use the loo and ordered your real gifts when I was done."

"Well I did the same, so we're even. And now I'm going to open this and I'm sure I'll love it."

The Doctor had to admit, he was curious about Rose's behavior. From the shape of the box (it wasn't very large, just long and slim) he was fairly certain it was a tie. These days he only wore suits half the time, but she always loved giving him ties (multi-purpose usage, she told him with a cheeky grin the first time she had given him one, before showing him exactly what she meant).

Inside was most definitely not a tie. Instead there was… the Doctor struggled to find an applicable word for what he was looking at. A _teddy_? He was fairly sure that was the word Rose had used last year when she presented herself to him Christmas morning, dressed up as a sexy elf. But compared to what he was looking at now, that had been a complete outfit. This basically amounted to strips of ribbon held together with a shiny see-through material. He could tell it would cover her bits but almost nothing else.

"Definitely not what I expected." He looked up at Rose and her face was nervous once again.

"I figured since you liked what I wore last year so much, I might as well give this to you. Build up the anticipation while I put it on."

He glanced down again at the gift and then back at Rose, swallowing thickly as his mind began to imagine her wearing it and desire shot through him. "I uh, can't wait."

Rose seemed satisfied with his response. "Who said anything about waiting?" With that she took the teddy from him and disappeared off to their bedroom.

She came back a few minutes later and the Doctor's eyes bulged. She was indeed a present, literally. The see-through material was a soft white against her skin and it was held together with ribbon. But as he'd thought earlier, it did more revealing than concealing. His mouth watered at the thought of slowly peeling it all away and he pulled her down on the bed and into his arms.

Afterward, sated and boneless, the Doctor fell back against the bed and Rose cuddled up beside him, her head on his chest, as he pulled the duvet cover over them for warmth. She let out a satisfied sounding hum as she stroked her fingers over his pectoral muscles.

"One for the memory book, hmm?" He tapped his temple as she lifted her head to meet his eyes.

"Oh?" She gave him a tongue touched grin. "Better than last year, then?"

"Oh, yes! It's already one of my favorite memories." he enthused. "Last year I unwrapped my fiancée."

He stopped her fingers and brought her hand up to his mouth, pressing a kiss against her wedding ring. "This year I unwrapped my wife."

Rose's smile turned from cheeky to tender. "And next year the TARDIS should be ready. We can spend it amongst the stars."

"Hopefully," he agreed. "But even if she's not quite ready, we'll still have a good time."

"Better with two," Rose said around a yawn, her eyes slipping closed. He doubted she meant it to, but her word choice unnerved him and while he knew she was still tired, there was suddenly something he needed to know. How did Christmas with him ( _this_ him) compare to the ones that came before? Were they as happy for her, even though they grounded on Earth?

"Rose?"

Her eyes opened again. "Yeah?"

"What's your favorite Christmas memory?"

"Other than the ones here?"

The Doctor relaxed slightly. "Of any you'd like to share."

"Hmm…" Rose grew quiet for a moment before she continued. "Last Christmas probably. Because you were here and I still had my family. This one has been great here in our home," she paused and grinned at him, "but I wish we'd had more time to take in the season."

The Doctor hummed in agreement to the last part.

"Before that, probably Cardiff."

"Cardiff?" He hadn't expected that answer.

"Yeah, I had just met this crazy alien and he introduced me to Charles Dickens on Christmas. I thought it couldn't get much better than that but it did. Plus you weren't sick so I imagine that's a better memory for you too."

"In some ways," the Doctor agreed, his fears completely mollified. "But it also meant everything to me the next year that you accepted the new me and still wanted to be together. "

"Always." Rose confirmed. "You basically had me at run."

The Doctor grinned at her and kissed her left hand once more. "Any others?" He knew so much about her and had experienced the Christmases they spent together, but he hadn't heard any special holiday stories from her childhood.

Rose seemed to ponder his question. "Well, there was the red bicycle but you know that one." She poked him in his side. "Father Christmas."

The Doctor beamed at her.

"Mum always did her best and made a special dinner but sometimes she only had one present for me when money was really tight. She'd give it to me Christmas Eve and then I'd play with it all night. But then on Christmas morning there was always a stocking. Inside was candy, a trinket or two, and a small piece of jewelry. That was always my favorite, made me feel special and pretty. Mum told me when I turned 18 it wasn't her, so it had to be cousin Mo. She was the only other one who had a key."

"Rose, I have a confession."

Rose jaw dropped. "No way."

The Doctor nodded. "It was something Jack said to me, after you and I were separated. He went back and watched you sometimes, from a distance, as you grew up. Just so he could see your face."

He swallowed as he thought of his own trips back to the Powell Estate during her childhood. He'd certainly had no idea he was making her favorite Christmas memories happen with his actions and his heart rejoiced in that knowledge. He'd never done more than glance at Rose for a moment as she slept before filling her stocking and leaving. At the time he'd thought those images of her childhood were the last he'd ever have of her, and yet now he was holding her in his arms. "It was the least I could do for you."

Tears pooled in Rose's eyes. "You've always been in my Christmas memories."

"I always will be, my love," the Doctor assured her as he wiped away the few that had fallen and kissed her softly.

 _end_


End file.
